Trial

Pokémon Sun and Moon

The trial begins once the player steps forward after walking through the trial gate. The player does not have the option to exit the trial part-way through. If the player loses the battle against the Totem Pokémon, when they attempt the trial again it will start at the final security question.

In this trial, Sophocles uses his invention called the "Ping Totem Pokémon 2.0" to broadcast sounds audible only to Pokémon to lure the Totem Pokémon. Sophocles activates it, causing a fuse to blow, and the trial proper to begin.

Sophocles asks the player to open the security door, but in order to do so they have to complete a series of audio quizzes. If the player gets an answer incorrect, Sophocles receives an electric shock and the player is asked the question again (there is no other penalty). After completing each quiz, the player battles a Pokémon, with the player battling the TotemVikavolt after the last quiz.

In the battle with Totem Vikavolt, it will call the Charjabug that knows Vice Grip on its first turn, and call the Charjabug that knows Spark if its HP is below approximately 2/3 (if the first ally Charjabug has been defeated). If its HP drops below approximately 2/3 before it has a chance to call an ally, it will call the Charjabug that knows Spark first, then call the Charjabug that knows Vice Grip at the first opportunity after the first Charjabug has fainted. Once an ally is defeated, Totem Vikavolt cannot call it again.

After defeating the Totem Pokémon, the power is restored to the observatory and Molayne bursts into the room. Sophocles gives the player an Electrium Z as a reward, and Molayne gives the player a Steelium Z.

Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon

The trial begins when the player tells Sophocles they are ready to begin. The player can leave at any time without resetting the trial, although the tiles themselves will be reset; if the player loses a battle against any trial Pokémon (including the Totem Pokémon), they will need to complete the preceding puzzle again.

In this trial, Sophocles uses two of his inventions in order to summon the Totem Pokémon. The first invention, the "Roller", requires the player to align three groups of three Charjabug in a straight line using a set of rotating panels, which can be rotated counter-clockwise by pushing one of the buttons at its corners. Once a Charjabug line has been formed, Sophocles uses their electricity to power up his second invention, the "Pinger", in order to call the Totem Pokémon. However, after the first and second Charjabug lines have been formed, the electricity instead lures in a wild Electric-type Pokémon, which the player must defeat in a battle to proceed.

After the third Charjabug line has been formed, the Pinger gets too much power, causing the cables feeding it electricity and holding it in its place to detach and the device turn to to point at the Charjabug, threatening to blast them. Sophocles's Togedemaru, Togemaru, steps in and attempts to use her Lightning RodAbility to save everyone from the incoming blast of electricity, but she is unable to contain the entire blast. At that moment, TotemTogedemaru appears and jumps in, absorbing the remaining electricity with its own Lightning Rod before challenging the player.

In the battle with Totem Togedemaru, it will call Skarmory on its first turn, and call Dedenne if its HP is below approximately 2/3 (if the ally Skarmory has been defeated). If its HP drops below approximately 2/3 before it has a chance to call an ally, it will call Dedenne first, then call Skarmory at the first opportunity after Dedenne has fainted. Once an ally is defeated, Totem Togedemaru cannot call it again.

After defeating the Totem Pokémon, Sophocles gives the player an Electrium Z as a reward.

Geography

Hokulani Observatory is a celestial research center that, with the help of Pokémon like Charjabug and Togedemaru, views and studies distant planets and galaxies. In addition to visible light, the observatory also studies celestial objects using all sorts of other wavelengths, like infrared and radio waves.

In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, after the player has cleared the trial here, a Scientist occupies the trial room and starts hosting a series of progressively harder Charjabug puzzles using Sophocles's Roller. Unlike the ones during the trial, these puzzles have a limited amount of moves for the player to use per try. If the player fails to solve a puzzle in time, it will be reset. Solving all the puzzles rewards the player with a PP Max.

Hokulani Observatory reappeared in Turning the Other Mask!, when Professor Kukui visited Molayne there to ask for his assistance in keeping his Masked Royal identity a secret.

In the anime, a place called Starfall Hill is located near the observatory, named as such due to the numerous Minior that fall down there.

In the manga

Hokulani Observatory in Pokémon Adventures

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Hokulani Observatory first appeared in the Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon chapter. A group of Ultra Beasts were summoned from their homeworlds at Po Town but eventually broke free, allowing them to cause havoc and destruction on the various locations on Ula'ula Island. Sophocles and Molayne used the observatory as a shelter to house any innocent civilians that were caught up in the chaos caused by the rampaging beasts. Due to the possibility that the observatory could also be attacked eventually, Sophocles decided to use an invention designed to lure Totem Pokémon to guide the Ultra Beasts away.

Trivia

In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the Magnemite in the far left end of the corridor speaks in morse code, saying "Boop-bee boop-bee-boop-boop bee-bee-bee boop-bee-boop-boop boop-beeeeee!" If every "boop" is considered as a dot, and every "bee" is considered as a dash, this translates to "ALOLA!"

In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, a Scientist at the lobby asks what is the magnitude of a star that's 10 times brighter than a fifth magnitude star. Although he will give the player a Stardust regardless of their answer, the correct answer is 0.5, as a celestial object's magnitude is lower the brighter it is.